


Walk the line back, your hearts still waiting

by OpheliaPending



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: After 3x05, And a sprinkle of angst, all i know is pain, and a good ending to boot, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 10:01:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21134888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpheliaPending/pseuds/OpheliaPending
Summary: Buck ends up at Eddie's house to finish what they started





	Walk the line back, your hearts still waiting

The wind was howling through the night air, a crisp dew coating settled on the ground and a crescent moon perched overhead giving just enough light to cast a shadow down Bucks face. He wondered whether he should be there right now. Buck reached out his hand to knock on the door but quickly retracted it into his pocket and began pacing back and forth. Was it okay for him to be here? After all that went down at the grocery store, Buck wanted the chance to explain… and the chance to listen.

Eddies words clung deep in his chest with claws that cut to the bone. He was hurt – Buck understood that. But the yelling. Eddie had completely lost it at him and it only made him feel worse. Buck had never seen Eddie like that before… so angry it scared him a little. It was too late to take back his actions. But he did what he felt was right at the time, you know? Why couldn’t Eddie just understand his side? There was only one way to figure this out. Buck hesitantly drew his hand forward and knocked it against the cool, hard surface. He gulped.

Eddie opened the door, head cast away from Buck. He sounded a little taken aback, “What are you doing here Buck?” his voice gravelly and his appearance dishevelled.

Buck tried to take a step forward, only to be blocked by Eddie inching the door closed, “Now’s not a good time.”

Buck held his palm out for him to halt, “Wait,” he begged softly, “Please.”

Eddie stopped, warily letting him continue.

Buck took a deep breath, hands fiddling with his jacket zipper, “I wanted to finish what we started at the store.”

“So, you chose to come to my house, at this hour so you could what? Say you’re sorry?”

Bucks eyebrows worried together, “Eddie you know I am. I never planned for any of it to get this far.”

“That’s exactly your problem Buck! You don’t plan anything! You just do whatever the hell you want like the selfish guy you are, consequences be damned!”

“That’s not true! I was gonna try and explain to you at Happy’s but you weren’t there.” Buck looked to the ground and pouted. He didn’t like fighting with Eddie; it was physically and mentally draining.

“Yeah I had other things to do, so what? And maybe I didn’t feel like getting into it with you again,” his sharp tongue hissed, almost ready to slam the door shut.

But before he had the chance to do so, “Eddie I just want you to understand where I’m coming from.” Bucks eyes were pleading, not quite meeting Eddies gaze, to Bucks dismay. Was this a problem so big that Eddie didn’t even want to look at him? A toiling pit grew in his stomach. 

“Well there’s no need for it. I get it perfectly. You just always have to get what you want. Not worrying about me or Christopher and how that decision would affect us? How it would make me – make him feel? I bet the thought didn’t even cross your mind. Tell me I’m wrong.”

That comment was like a stab in the gut. _He didn’t care about their feelings?_ Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. Buck wasn’t sure if he’d ever heard something so hypocritical in his life. “Eddie come on, please just listen to what I’m saying.” Why wouldn’t Eddie just _listen_ to him? Sure, he wasn’t perfect and maybe he didn’t foresee this version of events playing out but they were here now and they had to deal with it.

“That wasn’t a no,” Eddie folded his arms, pursing his lips.

Infuriating. Buck was tempted to rip every strand of hair from his head. Was there even a point in trying to explain to someone who didn’t want to listen? Someone who had already made up their mind? “At least look at me,” Buck grabbed his shoulder but Eddie wasn’t having it. Bucks hand got slapped away faster than the speed of sound.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Eddie growled.

“Well if you’re not going to hear me out then I at least expect you to look me in the eyes and tell me how you really feel. I don’t care about your feelings huh? So tell me. What are they?””

Eddie barged out from behind the door, grabbing Buck’s collar with a vengeful force and shoved him against the wall, “You’ve got no right.”

“Eddie what are you doi–” and then Buck saw it. The swelling swirls of blue and black accompanying a split lip, condensation from an icepack still dripping down his face and onto his singlet.

“What happened?” Buck abhorred, “Who did this to you?” A raging fire burned in his soul. Who would do this to Eddie? Lord have mercy on that guy should Buck ever find him.

Eddie unclenched his fists from Buck’s shirt, “It’s nothing.”

Buck’s bottom lip trembled, “That’s not nothing Eddie, look at me,” Buck curled his finger under Eddie’s jaw lifting it into the light. It looked gnarly.

“It’s nothing,” Eddie placed his hand on Bucks chest and shoved him back, probably a little harder than he should have, “I was just blowing off some steam.”

Buck clenched his jaw, “Blowing off some steam – as in you did this to yourself?”

“What’s it to you,” Eddie turned around.

“Your business is my business. Best friends are like that.”

“Oh, so suddenly we’re best friends again? Now that it suits you? Go fuck yourself Buck.”

Bucks whole body felt cold and his mouth hung agape, he looked to Eddie, eyes welling up, “Eddie that’s enough. I get that you’ve been going through something, but why can’t you even acknowledge that I’ve been going through something as well?”

Eddie just looked him dead in the eye, a blank expression across his face.

“Why couldn’t you just have supported me? Stood up for me? I needed you on my side.”

“Well I needed you here!” Eddie shot back, baring his teeth, “I guess we both don’t get what we want huh. Only in the end – you did so now it’s just me with all these pent-up shitty feelings because you weren’t here,” Eddie waved his finger accusingly at Buck, only for it to fall back at his side, lacklustre.

Buck paused; both men catching their breath, the cool air filling their lungs and bringing about with it a feeling of numbness. “I’m so sorry I made you feel that way Eddie… I don’t even know how to go about making this right. Just tell me what you need from me. How can I make this better?”

Eddie just looked at him, like even he was unsure just exactly what he wanted Buck to do.

“Well while you’re thinking that over, can you at least hear me out?” Bucks eyes were soft, as he turned toward the house and slid down the wall, sitting on the floor.

Eddie begrudgingly nodded, arms still crossed against his chest, “Fine.”

“What if someone took Christopher away from you?”

Eddie uncrossed his arms and waved them in the air, “Why would you even say something like that?”

“Exactly! That’s how much this job means to me, can you just understand that? Please? It was everything I had. And it was taken away from me. You guys even taped over my name on _my_ locker – you replaced me. Why can’t you just imagine for one second how that could make me feel?”

In that moment Eddie understood. Though rash Bucks decisions may be, to him it was a natural progression. The sheer depth of the attachment Buck had for that job – and it was almost taken away from him? Eddie was so mad at himself that it took him this long to realise just how bad his best friend was hurting. And that hurt him.

“We never replaced you Buck-”

“But you did! I literally saw her name written over mine. How is that not replacing me? What and I bet she’s your new partner now too huh?”

Eddie sat down beside Buck and placed one hand on his knee, “No one could ever – will ever replace you Buck.” He gave a comforting squeeze and nudged his shoulder.

Bucks mouth slightly upturned on the right side as he huffed out a small triumphant snort, “Oh yeah?”

Both of them had finally relaxed; their heads resting against the wall, shoulders still touching and their breathing evened out. Buck closed his eyes for only a moment – though he swore he could sleep for an eternity. He finally had his best friend back; the joy of which was not lost on him.

Eddie parted his lips and softly whispered, “Don’t ever do that again.”

“What?” Buck angled his head towards him, faces so close and yet so far.

“Don’t cut off contact from me again. I need you Buck.”

Those words made Buck all warm and tingly inside as he smiled from ear to ear and elbowed Eddie teasingly, “Deal.”

“So… What was that whole jail thing about anyway?” Buck raised an eyebrow at Eddie.

“Uh… I was a little on edge okay. I was dropping Christopher off at a sleep over but he’s been having nightmares that only stopped a week ago so you know how it is and then this guy comes up – harasses me about being in a handicap spot? And I kinda just lost it on him.”

“Sound like he deserved it.”

“Oh he did.”

They shared a laugh that carried off into the night. Their body warmth huddled together; Buck’s head now rested on Eddies shoulder. “I missed you.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed because my brain wouldn't let me sleep until it was done


End file.
